Major
record label executives may have found their answer to online music
services. However, this new technology is only for Macs.

This yet to be titled online music service was developed by Apple
Computer Inc. and will offer Mac and iPod users the ability to download
music similar to AOL's Music Net. Apple caught label attention with
their simple downloading software.

Similar programs have complicated technology and pricing plans due to
label security, making them much harder to use then free file sharing
programs such as LimeWire and Kazaa.

No licensing deals have been announced but four of the five major
labels have reportedly committed their music to the new Apple Service
that may be launched as early as next month.

Even
with all of the positive aspects of this new service, the fact still
remains that a relatively small percentage of the computers sold
worldwide are Macintosh, leaving the majority of the market unable to
take advantage of this service.

Steve Jobs personally
demonstrated the new service to top label executives who were
reportedly excited about the massive marketing plan designed by Jobs to
educated consumers about the service.

Apple will make songs available for sale through a new version of
iTunes. Consumers will be able to buy and download songs then transfer
them into any iPod registered with Apple. The format will be a higher
fidelity technology known as Advanced Audio Codec rather then MP3. This
allows for the songs to be protected by electronic locks that prevent
songs from being played on more then one computer. However, Apple still
wants to enable buyers to burns the songs onto CDs which would remove
the locks.

Pricing information is not yet available, but is expected to be similar
to with other similar services current on the market, about $10/month
for unlimited downloads and about $1 for each song that can be burned
to CD or transferred to a portable device.